First was a metal smelting factory, then served as an ice factory, and now the building of the northwest corner of Cornelia and Ravenswood avenues is enabled as a curious formula for exercising the art.

As explained David Munnard, whom can be defined as a volunteer administrative, Cornelia Arts Building "is a colony of independent artists who share costs for having set up workshops where different areas and styles of art: sculpture, visual arts, painting, design and Textile fashion, working in metal, glass, and so on. "

Munnard clarifies that serves as anywhere in rent, does not have any special requirements and it does not exist as such an administration.

"It's more a community that lives by sharing costs, and its cultural contribution to Chicago is that it is one of the few places that houses and providing opportunities for those painters or sculptors who still do not have a gallery, and also encourages new ones artists , "Explains the volunteer.

Another peculiarity of this art center located at 1800 West Cornelia Avenue, which also has an exhibition space, which is the group that creates and develops his art there is multinational: South American, Italian, Japanese, Polish and, especially, U.S. .

Opening of Spring

The weekend of 29 and was conducted March 30 opening of the exhibition season of spring, which is an unparalleled opportunity to get up close and purchase the work of this community more than 60 artistic talents, who opened their studios and workshops to the public.

Among them are the painter Guillermo Carrillo, a native of Santa Marta, one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the birthplace of singer Carlos Vives, the soccer player Carlos "Pibe" Valderrama and famous in history because there died on Liberator Simón Bolívar.

Carrillo mind that takes three years in Cornelia and that feels very happy to belong to this group of artists. He shared the studio with a photographer and expenditures with everyone else. He said that among all pay maintenance to be eligible for electricity, heating, water, community bath, security and access to studies for 24 hours.

"That opened our studies and workshops is quite interesting because we show our work and a little move our material. So here is better because your art is exposed without having to bring your artwork to various galleries, which are costly at times," added painter .

In his work Carrillo emphasized in the spring, "in these colors that everyone wants to see after such a long winter" and figures representing purity, angels, horses, landscapes and fruit. "Now I am also working on indigenous issues," he said.

They speak Visitors

Maria Teresa Gonzalez and Gustavo Osorio, two Colombians who attended the exhibition thanks to an electronic message of the General Consulate of Colombia, showed its appreciation for the variety and styles concentrated in one place.

"I have never known a place where artists took the study and his workshop and open to the public," said Gonzalez.

From painting them drew their attention Carillo Cockfighting, the horses, sunrises flowers and fruits, "with colors so alive, so tropical, one is transported to land, Latin americas," Osorio said.

Alvaro Levy and Ken Gilbert also visited the building of the artists of Cornelia and expressed their satisfaction. Levy spoke of "the versatility of the artists that there are in Chicago for all tastes and proposals that one look."